‘Impossible’: This Tiny Animal Can Pass Radiation Damage to Its Offspring – And Repair It Over Generations
"We thought that's impossible."
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Scientists have discovered an extraordinary survival mechanism in a microscopic organism that defies conventional biological understanding. The bdelloid rotifer, specifically a species called Adineta vaga, possesses the remarkable ability to transmit radiation-damaged DNA to its offspring and continue repairing the damage across multiple generations—a phenomenon never before documented in any other living creature.
Researchers exposed the tiny animals to extreme radiation doses that shattered their chromosomes into dozens of fragments, far exceeding levels lethal to humans. Rather than repairing all damage before reproduction, the rotifers pass broken chromosome pieces to their offspring, which then continue the repair process in subsequent generations. “That’s never been shown, that you have this repair across generations,” explained evolutionary biologist Karine Van Doninck. The discovery emerged unexpectedly when researchers noticed variation in DNA deletions among cloned populations derived from irradiated specimens, suggesting ongoing restoration rather than immediate repair.
The mechanism behind this feat involves two key adaptations. First, the rotifer’s chromosomes possess a unique “holocentric” structure, meaning centromere components are distributed across the entire chromosome rather than concentrated in one region. This allows broken fragments to be properly segregated during cell division. Second, the organism’s paired chromosomes provide repair templates for damaged DNA, enabling progressive restoration across generations rather than requiring immediate healing.
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Originally reported by Sciencealert →
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